Now that swimming has wrapped up, we can definitively say that the Americans once again proved that they are the class of the pool. The United States has a rich tradition and incredible depth when it comes to swimming. There are competitors in every race that can win and even more who can win medals. It's our tradition.

But every now and then, maybe every 30 years or so, Mark Spitz was 1972 and Michael Phelps was 2008, there is a swimmer that defines the sport for a generation. The big story of the week was obviously Mr. Phelps and his truly historic accomplishments in the pool. He won his eight medals in so many different and exciting ways that it will be talked about for years to come. I know people are talking about him as the greatest Olympian of all time. It's so hard to say that not only because I hate putting labels on people like that, but I do know that what he did was an incredible feat, by far one of the most incredible sporting feats of all-time. He's the greatest swimmer to ever step foot in a pool.

What's almost as amazing, but not quite, is how he rallied an entire country around his races. Everything just stood still and people got ready for it. People love the Olympics and want to cheer for the USA. He had talked about changing the sport like the transcendent athletes before him, and I think he's done just that. So for people like me who love the sport, this is a great time. More people are swimming and talking about swimming, even in my community, where swimming is more about fun and survival than sport. Friends of mine are trying to talk me into opening a swim school, which is something I've wanted to do for awhile.

Now we are into the second full week and I'm not sure how you top what we just experienced. We might see some people in track and field win one or two medals, which is amazing... but not as amazing as eight!

That said, I am excited for the soccer, softball and both basketball medal games. Why else would I be up so early? With the U.S. in all of those finals, it's going to be a fun week, for sure. I got the chance to watch a few of the basketball games and they look awesome. I love how the men's team is called the Redeem Team, too. You can see how badly they want to bring the gold back here. And honestly, this is where it belongs. I'll say it. Basketball is still our sport, though the NBA deserves so much credit for making basketball a global game.

But I commend the guys like Kobe and LeBron and Jason Kidd for getting so caught up in the Olympic spirit. I love their pride, going to watch all of the other events like swimming and volleyball and how it fires up all of the other American athletes. They have such different lives than many of the other athletes, so to see them take this so seriously is great.

Lots to watch! Enjoy it all,
~Summer